posted 03-10-2011 05:19 AM               

Atlas Rocket Exhibit

The Museum is proud to showcase an exciting new exhibit that tells the story of the Atlas rocket series from the late 1950s to the present.

Both graphics and videos will detail the history of the project describing its role in the space race, the manned Mercury orbital missions, its effect on the San Diego area, and finally its enormous successes in helping launch many space projects benefiting mankind in general along with lessons in rocketry and guidance.

The San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park is unveiling an exhibit on the Atlas missile, the booster that evolved into this country's first intercontinental ballistic missile and the rocket that placed the Mercury astronauts in space.

The exhibit, which opens on March 10, pays special attention to Convair, the San Diego company that did most of the early development on the Atlas. Convair grew out of Consolidated Aircraft, San Diego's first major aircraft builder. And Convair later became a division of General Dynamics, and played a pivotal role in the space program. And a larger version of the booster is still in service today...